Health Report - Separate stories podcast: Recent Episodes
ABC Radio
Specialist and mainstream audiences alike rely on the Health Report to bring clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.
Mistakes made in medical diagnoses have been called the 'underwater iceberg' of healthcare. They can be hidden from view, but a large study has now measured the problem and given a better idea of what's going on.
A group of islands in the Caribbean has a population of monkeys who like to swipe tourists' drinks, and because of that they're helping researchers know more about addiction. It involves a hot new class of weight loss drugs: GLP-1 agonists, or Semaglutide.
Held recently was probably Australia's first conference on Long COVID. It was sponsored by the Victorian Agency for Health Information and the Department of Health, who also funded a survey of people known to have had COVID, and assess the experiences and extent of those affected.
General practitioners can have a great positive effect on unhealthy behaviours when patients seek help for smoking or alcohol issues. But GPs may hesitate to approach a discussion about weight loss because of the risk of body shaming and stigma.
A worm infection can cause awful illness— the right type of worm in the right dosage may also have the potential to heal us.
Mexico has been a world leader in getting people to change unhealthy eating behaviours, and now they have implemented assertive labelling of processed foods using large octagonal warnings about excess calories, sugar, and fat if the unhealthy ingredients exceed globally agreed thresholds.
New research has been looking into—not just the risks of sitting which have already been pretty well described—but WHY it's bad
Women are being mislead by fertility tests which promote anti-Mullerian hormone—or AMH testing—which indicates how many eggs a woman has left, relative to her age. The tests are not designed for general screening in the community, and AMH levels do not say how fertile a woman is.
One of the side effects of having had babies and ageing in general is what used to be called prolapse—or uterine descent. Sometimes no treatment is necessary but there's been a debate among surgeons about which operation is best.
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Guest:
Prof Helen O'Connell
President of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand
There's a story today about a new test for ovarian cancer. For a long time there's been a search for a way to reliably detect this cancer early on. There is no such test and in fact the diagnosis needs to be made by surgery.
Also in health news is testosterone. Some men are prescribed testosterone-replacement therapy in middle age or older, but there's questions around how safe that is for their heart attack and stroke risk. A new study has shed a bit of light on it.
When it comes to sleep most people think that they should aim for seven or eight hours a night. But it turns out that what in fact matters more is the quality of that sleep: how well maintained it is through the night.
Cervical screening is usually something you want to get done and then not think of again until you get an appointment reminder. But in developing a screening program one woman—Mary Papanicolaou—did a test every day, for 21 years—it's what we now call the PAP test.
Norman and Tegan take their own activity seriously, and elected to measure how much they each do, by donning activity monitors. It began about eight months ago, in the depths of the Tasmanian central highlands. In the coming weeks we'll get to analyse the data.
A new guideline has just been approved for doctors and women about a much misunderstood condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) It has profound metabolic effects on as many as one in eight women.
There's a growing body of evidence that short bursts of vigorous exercise can have significant metabolic effects on the body. It's been found that micro-bursts of vigorous physical activity can decrease the risks of developing various cancers.
As part of National Science Week—this year on the theme of Sound and Noise—Tegan investigated the latest improvements in and access to cochlear implants, where the technology moves swiftly.
Australians are soon to vote on changing the Australian Constitution in order to recognise First Nations people—a vote called the Voice to Parliament. The Voice has health implications and we discuss its importance.
The remote community of Balgo in the Tanami Desert has many years of hunting for bush tucker, but the introduction of a western diet has had a had a disastrous effect on kidney health there. People must leave their Country if they want dialysis care, but things are changing.
US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell froze mid-sentence at a press conference—causing speculation about whether it was a stroke or epilepsy. It prompts the question: what should you do if you're with someone who has an episode like this?
Metastatic cancer is the term for the spread of a cancer from a primary site to other parts of the body. There's no nationally consistent way of keeping track of how many cancer patients go on to develop metastatic cancer, and it needs more support.
The treatment for rare cancers and some tumours can be challenging but a consortium of Australian cancer researchers has announced a program—called the PrOSPect Initiative—which offers 23,000 Australians with advanced or rare cancers the chance to be genetically profiled.
Regular aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure, and resistance training prevents progression to diabetes in people at risk. But new kinds of exercise programs have emerged, and the evidence on which kinds of exercise are best for lowering blood pressure is being updated.
To assess the heart health and stroke risk factors of the population, Australian GPs and cardiologists have for a long time referred to a multi-generational study from the population of Framingham, Massachusetts—using that data in deciding on the prescription of cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering medications.
But Framingham left out some key variables in risk detection in Australia and last week the Heart Foundation replaced it with a tool based on New Zealand and Australian populations.
A risk factor for heart attacks and strokes is an abnormal heart rhythm, but it's easily missed, and why extended observations are necessary with a cumbersome and expensive device called a Holter monitor. To make things easier, and maintain accuracy, a study by clinicians and researchers at Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney has compared a simple finger electrode linked to your mobile phone against Holter monitoring.
A process for the medical termination of pregnancy was previously only available to appropriately trained GPs. But this has changed and, from August 1, it will be open to all GPs and pharmacists who can prescribe the medication.
A common fracture in children comes from a fall onto an outstretched arm, which breaks the radius bone. Parents instinctively want to get an X-ray at the hospital, but, according to a randomised trial in Queensland and published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, an ultrasound can work just as well as an X-ray for most children.
The artificial sweetener aspartame has made news, because of findings from a branch of the World Health Organisation called the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Norman discusses WHO's involvement in food safety, and their dietary guidelines.
Treating mental illness with psychedelic drugs is being spoken about quite regularly these days. Alongside is another promising treatment for severe depression—ketamine.
Many Australians are prescribed opioids as relief from back pain, despite risks of side effects and addition. But a world-first trial led by the University of Sydney has found that opioids don't offer significant benefit and the guidelines for their use need to be changed.
It's not uncommon for people to worry about memory loss, and the worry is not confined to an older age group. A recent study of twins from their late 30s to late 60s researched 'subjective memory'—how a person's perception of memory compared with how it performed when properly measured. The results are reassuring.
An analysis of labelling on sports foods – things like protein shakes and bars, carbohydrate gels, and pre-workout mixes – finds that the claims they make often don’t tally with the ingredient and energy panel,
Strength training is the cornerstone of most athletes' regimes, but the guidelines that underpin it are overwhelmingly based on male data. So where does this leave female athletes looking to optimise every part of their training?
It’s called ‘young onset’ dementia if diagnosed before the age of 65 - and can occur while people are still caring for kids and supporting a household, and it can also take time to be identified. We talk with people who have been given this news, and to researchers looking to improve diagnosis and care.
We think breastfeeding is quite natural, but it doesn’t always come easily, and some issues—such as Breastfeeding Aversion Response (or BAR)—are still under-researched. BAR can happen anytime, but has been especially noted in women who are pregnant while still feeding an older baby.
A look at some of the big stories in health over the last week or so, including:
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the World Health Organisation's warning about toxic cough syrup, and 9 countries where it may have been on sale;
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the approval in the U.S. of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy;
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in the U.S. there's a shortage of two common chemotherapy drugs;
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junk food advertising
If you've ever had an injury or a surgery you've likely been prescribed an opioid. They're an important class of drug for pain relief, but need to be managed in order to avoid dependency on them. Some new prescribing guidelines have just been developed, which recommend an exit strategy from the first point of prescribing—and the need for better support infrastructure like pain clinics, especially in rural and remote Australia.
Host: Tegan Taylor
Guests:
Janny Wale: Consumer advocate
Assoc Prof Danijela Gnjidic
Charles Perkins Centre and School of Pharmacy
University of Sydney
Parkinson's disease is caused by damage to groups of nerve cells in the brain, and leads to disabling muscle stiffness, tremor, and in some people, dementia. It's been suspected that this brain damage for some people was the result of chemical toxins—one of the probable culprits is a substance used to remove grease in industrial processes and, in the past, in dry cleaning. A huge study of US Marines has tightened the link further.
Having your tonsils out as a child used to be quite routine, but the realisation that the decision to have this surgery was often arbitrary and not worth the risk of complications drastically reduced the incidence of it in young children. But then what about adults with frequent sore throats? British authorities noticed an increase in tonsillectomy rates in young adults, accompanied by associated complications—which prompted a clinical trial to see whether the surgery was merited.
A recent bus crash in the Hunter Valley claimed 10 lives. Trying to make sense of such tragic events often prompts a reach for advice that sounds right, but might not be. People in the Singleton area were advised that talking is important, yet that advice is not supported by evidence, and may worsen a situation.
Therapy using psychedelic drugs is generally safe yet a review of its use found that adverse events were not properly assessed or not reported. Before we continue this type of therapy we need clearer clinician guidelines and to ensure that therapy recommendations are evidence-based.
In Canada it's been 5 years since cannabis was legalised for non-medical, recreational use. Public health researchers have asked if this legalisation had health impacts if it was used during pregnancy—and if so, how those babies were affected.
An Australian clinical trial found that a form of psychotherapy called Cognitive Functional Therapy could help people with chronic disabling low back pain.They recruited adults who'd had low back pain for more than three months which was limiting their physical activity.
Researchers have observed the cardiac and neural signals from a small number of ICU patients at the point when ventilatory support was withdrawn. The EEC and EKG monitors recorded the quite new phenomena of electrical activity in a particular area of the brain. It leads to greater speculation about what happens to the brain as we die, and the need for more investigation.
The topic of death is often seen as a conversational taboo, and shied away from. But the film Live The Life You Please sees the discussion about life-limiting diagnoses, and end of life care more positively. It shows how people have been able to speak about their feelings in difficult times, and discovered how they would like to live now.
Governments like to fund initiatives that often sound terrific—but a big part of the equation is also to measure how well schemes have worked. Some of the funds might be better directed if evaluated in the same way as medications and some treatments.
You probably know the Australian Government has general exercise recommendations for adults, but what if you're in a high risk group? Does that change the amount of activity you should be doing? At the moment there are no official guidelines, but new research suggests maybe there should be.
A recent study has looked at correlations between rates of (Australian) population obesity and searching online for anti-obesity and diabetes drugs—searches for a class of drugs called the GLP-1 agonists. The authors wondered if one Australian state had a prevalence of obesity, how might that relate to these searches.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is perhaps the ‘poor cousin’ of cardio-vascular disease. PAD puts people at risk of heart attack, stroke and amputations, and a really disturbing review of what's known about it in women finds it to be underdiagnosed, undertreated, and to show itself when it's already severe and more likely to end up in an amputation.
A new kind of ADHD clinic is cashing in on surging demand for diagnoses — and promising salaries of more than $900,000 to recruit psychiatrists.
The World Health Organisation has advised against using artificial sweeteners for weight loss, because there's no long-term benefits and may even be increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. So what does this mean for Australian consumers?
Australian research has found a link between diets high in ultra-processed foods and an increase in risk in depression. Australians do eat a lot of mass-produced and refined foods but until now this has not been fully assessed.
If healthcare were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter in the world. But how do we reduce its environmental impact without compromising on health? A review has found there’s plenty possible – and to reduce low-value care-giving benefits to patients as well as the environment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) have voted that when they meet formally at the end of May, approval goes forward for a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—a disabling genetic disease.
Post partum depression is a significant issue for both women and their babies, and it doesn't come out of the blue—depression can occur before or during pregnancy. A recent study has reported on an intervention in pregnant women with depression, using a particular form of therapy called interpersonal psychotherapy.
Child neglect leads to both later poor physical and mental health. In some cases, an one issue with a child’s physical symptoms can be an entry point to discover more about what’s going on overall.
Would you wear protective eyewear to play tennis, badminton or Aussie Rules? It might not be quite the athleisure look you were imagining, but it could cut down considerably on serious eye injuries, according to a new study.
When given the choice between a ChatGPT bot or a real doctor, it turns out that patients preferred the bot—because they thought that it conveyed more empathy.
A study on the effect of hormonal contraceptive use suggests that a history of hormonal contraceptive-associated depression may be associated with a higher risk of postpartum susceptibility; and may point to a sub-group of women who are hormone sensitive.
Lung cancer is the fifth most common cancer diagnosis, but the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. One reason is because it's found too late for the only curative treatment—surgery. An earlier diagnosis might be made if those at risk are screened, with a CT scan of their lungs, and last week cancer Australia announced a lung cancer screening programme, which will start in 2025.
There are treatments available for women who struggle with menopause symptoms. But some experts argue over-medicalisation could be contributing to negative experiences.
A large UK study following men with localised prostate cancer has found patients have more time than they think to weigh up treatment options.
One woman's moving story of her terminal cancer diagnosis — likely the result of immunosuppressant treatment — has sparked conversation about life post-transplant.
From July 1 patients must have a referral to undergo cosmetic surgery. But there has been a mixed response to the incoming change.
Personal assistant devices are out of reach for people in the deaf community. So researchers are working on a personal assistant fluent in Auslan.
We rely on the environment for our most basic needs. A group of health professionals wants to highlight just how intertwined our fates are, following Australia's latest State of the Environment report.
Vaping is on the rise among teenagers, and some are becoming dependent on the products. So what can you do to encourage your child to quit?
RSV is responsible for 100,000 deaths worldwide each year. A jab given to pregnant women could protect babies from severe disease.
Drug use has been increasing, whether it be cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens or ketamine. That includes recreational use and substance abuse.So it begs the question: Has criminalising drugs ever worked? And what needs to be done to drive down the harms associated with this increasing drug use?If you're in need of support, you can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015, or contact Counselling Online. CreditsAbigail Leeder, ReporterShelby Traynor, Producer
The shock of a cancer diagnosis is familiar for far too many people.But when Na'ama Carlin was diagnosed with breast cancer, her health wasn't the only consideration. If you're in need of support you can contact Mummy's Wish or Hope for Two.
Polycythemia vera (PV) is a rare blood cancer where the bone marrow overproduces red blood cells.
Bypass is a common surgery for people living with coronary heart disease. Arteries or veins from somewhere else in the body are used to bypass the narrowed or blocked pathways to the heart.However, even though arteries are considered much more durable than veins, rates of arterial grafts are lagging.
While just one per cent of the population has schizophrenia, they make up 11 per cent of unexpected cardiac deaths in people under the age of 50. People with schizophrenia are more likely to be alone when they suffer a cardiac event. It highlights isolation as a major issue for people with complex mental illness.
More people in more countries are now injecting drugs. That's according to a global review looking at drug use, the harms of drug use and how countries are (or aren't) reducing those harms. Australia is one of just a handful of nations with high coverage of proven harm reduction services, like syringe exchange programs and substitution treatments.
Existing tests for prostate cancer can be imprecise and invasive. Narrowing down the people most at risk for prostate cancer is important to avoid unnecessary biopsies — and the anxiety that comes along with them. Could the answer to this screening conundrum be hidden in the genome?
Misinformation is rife when it comes to treatments for alopecia. For some, it's easier to come to terms with hair loss than it is to trial several treatments with inconsistent results. While others are still searching for something that might work for them.So where do we stand on treatments for the autoimmune condition?
Australia's bone marrow donor registry (ABMDR) is using its own money for a cheek swab program to recruit local donors.The donor pool in Australia is small compared to other countries. The only way to join the registry here is through blood donation. Most patients in need of a transplant have had to search for a match overseas, where countries have been using cheek swabs for over a decade.
A prescription eye drop already available in Australia has been shown to slow the progression of myopia, otherwise known as short-sightedness. Myopia is on the rise globally, with kids spending more time inside and on screens. But a low dose of atropine drops could be an important intervention for at-risk kids to keep their eyes healthy.
There are calls for vaping products to be banned unless they're being prescribed for the purpose of smoking cessation. Vaping has become common practice for young Australians — many of whom are not initially aware they're getting hooked on nicotine. While most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, that information is being left off packaging.
Health outcomes are not just down to the individual. The policies you live under, the economics of your society and your situation — even the social norms of your community — all shape physical and mental wellbeing.These inequalities are present from birth, but there are worthwhile interventions that might help close the health gap.
The peak body for psychiatrists is racing to prepare safeguards ahead of the rescheduling of psybicilin and MDMA in July.It has been revealed the TGA went against the advice of its advisory committee, which strongly opposed the down-scheduling when it met last year.
There's a renewed push to offer more women a procedure that could significantly drive down their risk of developing ovarian cancer. Many types of ovarian cancer actually start in the fallopian tubes. Removing the fallopian tubes, in a procedure called a salpingectomy, can be done during other operations like tubal ligation or a hysterectomy.
It's a simple CT scan that can pick up your risk of heart attack or stroke. Coronary calcium scoring measures the amount of calcified plaque inside the walls of your heart's arteries.Cardiologists are hoping it can be offered to more people, to identify and prevent heart disease before it strikes. Guests:Brian LangskaillProfessor Tom Marwick, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
Changes to the scheduling of psilocybin and MDMA will take effect in July. The TGA's decision to allow their use for the treatment of depression and PTSD respectively has come under scrutiny. We speak to one of the people in Australia doing work in this area, to get a sense of what the research community thinks of this controversial decision. Guest:Professor Susan Rossell, research fellow at Swinburne's Centre for Mental Health
There isn't an aspect of the healthcare system COVID-19 hasn't touched, and that includes organ donation and transplantation.
It's a condition estimated to affect some 300,000 Australians, but advocates are concerned many are falling through the cracks.
Screen time is only going up as our lives become more and more intertwined with technology.
Producer Shelby Traynor has been collecting listener responses after Norman's trip to the ice bath ... people are fond of cole-water swimming; and saunas.
An intriguing story about people who can't burp, and who are very keen to find a fix for their discomfort. There's a surprising treatment to unlock their gas—fortunately in a northerly direction.
A study in Sweden has looked at a possible association of maternal and paternal primary antibody immunodeficiencies—and whether this provides a natural test of a hypothesis about parental immune activation, and whether it relates to altered neurodevelopment in utero.
Chronic, non-cancer-related pain is common and hard to treat. Pain killers are not effective, surgery can make it worse, and so alternate medications are often used—such as antidepressants—because of how they act on the brain, not because of the antidepressant effect. A group of researchers has compiled the available evidence their efficacy.
More and more people are tackling the bracing discomfort of ice bath sessions, cropping up around the country. There are several touted benefits ... but also some serious risks. Norman heads to Bronte Beach to chill, and check what all the fuss is about.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration recently approved the psychedelic compound psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression; and MDMA–or ecstasy–for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder. A group of researchers are uncomfortable with the decisions because the safety of these substances has not yet been proved.
A genetic form of diabetes can occur later in life—and doesn’t need to be managed with insulin? A pilot project has assessed the benefits of undertaking genetic testing early, to save costs in the health system, and save patients the side effects of unnecessary insulin injections.
Many maladies are linked to higher body weight, and losing a few kilos is often presented as an answer. But can it work for a whole population? Working with communities can prove a solution, looking at how food is presented, and for which particular age groups, such as children and adolescents—so that a healthy choice is easier to make.
A trial on providing a financial reward for obese people to achieve sustainable weight loss has proved successful—but the general health environment into which those people return must also be considered after a goal weight is achieved.
The rate of knee replacement surgery has been increasing—for the most part due to osteoarthritis. It's more common if you are heavier, and a study following the diet and lifestyles of over 24,000 Melburnians from early adulthood through to their early 60s found that if you'd been able to change the steady creep of kilos, and moved that trajectory downwards, one in three knee replacements might be avoided—at a saving of $373 million dollars each year.
The Strengthening Medicare Report was released recently, and while it's not yet government policy, the key recommendations concern changes to the digital health environment; solutions to problems in rural areas; access to affordable primary care; team-based care; voluntary patient registration; working to scope of practice; and modernising My Health Record.Also last week, the TGA approved the use of psilocybin and MDMA, insofar as psilocybin may be considered for treatment-resistant depression, and MDMA for treatment-resistant PTSD. But they're not easy solutions and will require co-ordination between clinicians and the manufacturers of these medications (as the TGA has not approved or registered psilocybin or MDMA medications).
Sarcomas are a broad group of cancer tumours. They're relatively rare but often difficult to treat and tend to appear in younger adults. A project at The Garvan Institute has been documenting the combination of genetic profile with family history of people with sarcomas, and the research team has found genes to aid early diagnosis.Guest:Prof David ThomasHead Genomic Cancer MedicineGarvan Institute of Medical ResearchHost: Dr Norman Swan
Organ donation is one of the great miracles of our time, but that's not to say it's easy. To be viable, a heart needs to be transplanted within four or five hours, and this is a huge logistical challenge for a country the size of Australia. But things are improving thanks to a new technology to prolong the viability of hearts.Guests:Alex Moroianu, heart transplant recipientProf John FraserIntensive care physicianPrince Charles and St Andrews hospitals, Brisbane,Professor David McGiffin,Cardiothoracic surgeon
The prescription rate rose in recent years for medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but was still below what's thought to be the extent of the condition. Anecdotally, more and more adults are being diagnosed and treated, but can those who need help access what can be expensive, high-quality assessment, and care.Note that the download for this segment is longer than that broadcast.Guests:NarikaDr Michele TonerADHD coachChair, Management board ADHD Western AustraliaDr Dorgival CaetanoPsychiatristMedical Director, Sydney International ADHD CentreHosts: Dr Norman Swan and Shelby Traynor
Our bodies are surely amazing and we're always making discoveries about them. One of the biggest puzzles in this complex human system is our brain, or more precisely, our minds. How our mind works is a bit of a mystery yet it's possible to learn something about its operation—and how to keep it in good order.
Fasting diets like the 5:2 or the 16/8 have become very popular. People might go on them to lose weight but maybe also to slow biological ageing and calm an overactive immune system. While there is lots of evidence for the benefits of the 5:2 diet in animals, there's hasn't been much in humans. Professor Luigi Fontana led an international team in a randomised trial of intermittent fasting in overweight men and women—whose average age was late 40s.
In the US a story has been bubbling away which might have implications for Australians. Sun Pharmaceuticals is a supplier of generic medications, and they're currently in a bit of hot water. In December 2022 the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) sent Sun Pharmaceuticals a letter regarding violations of the manufacturing process at Sun's plant in Gujarat, India.
Royals have a tendency to change the course of history — in life and in death. From King George III's apparent madness to Queen Victoria's genetic legacy, a look back at the illnesses (and deaths) that have shaped the world.This program was originally heard in September 2022.Note that the change of broadcast time mentioned at the end of the program refers to our live program on Mondays.
Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia characterised by a rapid and irregular heartbeat. While stress is a known consequence of the condition, it can also bring on symptoms. There is increasing evidence that relaxation methods like yoga and meditation can help manage the condition. Guest: Professor Peter KistlerBaker Heart and Diabetes InstituteHead of Electrophysiology at The Alfred hospital
Some people experience a tingly feeling when they hear certain noises and a body of evidence is now forming to assess whether this feeling might be a useful intervention for people with anxiety.
There's a new perspective on how we think about the cause and progress of Alzheimer's disease. Are we doing the right thing by removing accumulated amyloid protein from the brains of people with it? New research asks whether decreasing the so-called bad stuff is beneficial—or can it go further—because that stuff could be beneficial.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 7 or 8 per cent of people in their 60s, and one in four people in their 80s. As more people hit their 80s and 90s, the number of those with mild cognitive impairment will increase. Not all will develop Alzheimer's disease but the pressure on the health care system will be great, so a group of experts have come together with recommendations for detecting, assessing, and looking after people with MCI.This item was first heard in October 2022.Guest:Assoc. Prof Michael WoodwardDirector, Memory ClinicAustin Hospital, Melbourne
The cancer risks that run through generations of families—and the growing frontier in medicine trying to change that.
Telomeres are small 'caps' on the ends of your chromosomes—the length of telomeres is seen as an indicator of how fast we age.
If you're a human in 2022 you likely carry a bit of tech on you that tracks how physically active you are. But how can we be sure it's really promoting activity? Previous studies have had mixed results.
It's expected now that, generally, we will live longer, but individuals want to know how to spend a longer life in good health—and to set a good foundation.This program was first heard on 25 April, 2022Dr Norman Swan's book was published in July 2022.Guest:Prof Luigi FontanaLeonard P Ullman Chair in Translational Metabolic HealthDirector, Healthy Longevity Research and Clinical ProgramFaculty of Medicine and Health, University of SydneyHost: Dr Norman SwanProducer: Diane Dean
High blood pressure is one of the most toxic risk factors for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, dementia, and probably premature ageing. It's incredibly important to get blood pressure under control. For the most part intensive treatment works, but there were disappointing results from a follow-up study of people who were trialled intensive treatment.Guest: Prof Bruce NealExecutive Director of the George InstituteHost: Dr Norman SwanProducer: Diane Dean
The wellness space often refers to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide—or NAD for short. It can be found an in products promoting longevity— so it may give you pause for thought—but it shows promising results for use in human eyesight.Guest:Dr Flora HuiOptometrist Clinician ScientistABC Top 5 Scientist 2022Host: Tegan TayorProducer: Diane Dean
The commonest cause of irreversible blindness is age-related macular degeneration and a new study has found a genetic link between it and Alzheimer's disease—with implications for macular degeneration drug development.Guest:Prof Ruth Frikke-SchmidtDepartment of Clinical BiochemistryCopenhagen University HospitalHost: Dr Norman Swan
One the debates about the COVID-19 pandemic is whether it was a natural spillover from an animal, or an accidental release from a lab. In her new book, Dark Winter, Professor Raina MacIntyre warns that we need to improve our methods of identifying future outbreaks, and that scientists may not be the people to do it—rather that Intelligence and law enforcement services have a better toolkit.Guest: Prof Raina MacIntyreHead of Global BiosecurityKirby Institute, = University of New South WalesHost: Dr Norman SwanProducer: Diane Dean
Research into ageing has revealed a number of processes controlling the speed at which we age—especially in our brains. One of them is autophagy, which helps cells clean out the crap. Researchers would like to know more about it and if it could be manipulated.Guest:Dr Tim SargeantSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)Host: Dr Norman SwanProducer: Diane Dean
Fish oil supplements—also called omega 3 fatty acids—are taken by some women during pregnancy. What are the benefits, who should take them, and does it matter what the source is?
The ABC Birth Project has shown that the kind of care you might get if you're pregnant varies across Australia—despite us knowing what best practice looks like: continuity of care, led by a known midwife. A national strategy around improving maternity care was launched in 2019.
Guest: Dr Zoe Bradfield
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC Birth Project has shown that the kind of care you might get if you're pregnant varies across Australia—despite us knowing what best practice looks like: continuity of care, led by a known midwife. A national strategy around improving maternity care was launched in 2019.
Guest: Dr Zoe Bradfield
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC Birth Project has shown that the kind of care you might get if you're pregnant varies across Australia—despite us knowing what best practice looks like: continuity of care, led by a known midwife. A national strategy around improving maternity care was launched in 2019.
Guest: Dr Zoe Bradfield
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
More prenatal screening tools are available for expectant parents. As well as screening ultrasounds, parents-to-be now have access to simple blood tests that can indicate whether baby might have a chromosome issue. The tests can ascertain whether you're having a boy or a girl. But parents who want peace of mind or want to know the sex of their baby can feel blindsided when the result predicts high risk -- and maybe for a condition they didn't know they were being tested for.
Guests:
Tenika Madden: mother
Assoc Prof Lisa Hui
University of Melbourne
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
More prenatal screening tools are available for expectant parents. As well as screening ultrasounds, parents-to-be now have access to simple blood tests that can indicate whether baby might have a chromosome issue. The tests can ascertain whether you're having a boy or a girl. But parents who want peace of mind or want to know the sex of their baby can feel blindsided when the result predicts high risk -- and maybe for a condition they didn't know they were being tested for.
Guests:
Tenika Madden: mother
Assoc Prof Lisa Hui
University of Melbourne
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
More prenatal screening tools are available for expectant parents. As well as screening ultrasounds, parents-to-be now have access to simple blood tests that can indicate whether baby might have a chromosome issue. The tests can ascertain whether you're having a boy or a girl. But parents who want peace of mind or want to know the sex of their baby can feel blindsided when the result predicts high risk -- and maybe for a condition they didn't know they were being tested for.
Guests:
Tenika Madden: mother
Assoc Prof Lisa Hui
University of Melbourne
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC’s Birth Project call out has received thousands of responses in just a few weeks. We're hearing about the good and bad of pregnancy and birth in Australia. It's one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but the health system sometimes fails women, their families, and clinicians. One of of the key people involved is Science Unit reporter Olivia Willis.
Hosts: Tegan Taylor and Olivia Willis
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC’s Birth Project call out has received thousands of responses in just a few weeks. We're hearing about the good and bad of pregnancy and birth in Australia. It's one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but the health system sometimes fails women, their families, and clinicians. One of of the key people involved is Science Unit reporter Olivia Willis.
Hosts: Tegan Taylor and Olivia Willis
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC’s Birth Project call out has received thousands of responses in just a few weeks. We're hearing about the good and bad of pregnancy and birth in Australia. It's one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but the health system sometimes fails women, their families, and clinicians. One of of the key people involved is Science Unit reporter Olivia Willis.
Hosts: Tegan Taylor and Olivia Willis
Producer: Diane Dean
There are an estimated 34,000 people in Australia living with cerebral palsy, and it affects one in 700 babies. For some families there's an explanation for the disorder, but the cause is often a mystery. With now more accessible gene testing there's an interest in looking at the child's genes, to gain useful information for parents and treatment teams.
Guest:
Dr Siddarth Srivasta
Dept of Neurology
Boston Children's Hospital
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
We often hear about mental health occurrences of distress, anxiety and depression, while more money is being invested in their treatment. Questions can then arise about the effectiveness of services, and whether they are overwhelmed. The answer affects how treatment services are provided.
Guest:
Dr Adam Skinner
Senior Research Fellow
Brain and Mind Centre
University of Sydney
The Artemis 1 mission launched recently, and though there is no crew, the aim is to set up a long-term base on the moon, getting humans back there, and eventually even to Mars. So if we're to spend more time in space, we'll have to know how gravity can affect us. It's actually pretty important for how our bodies work – including our brain functions.
Guest:
Stan Love
Physicist and astronaut
NASA
Prof Meng Law
Dept of Neuroscience
Monash University
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
The Artemis 1 mission launched recently, and though it was an uncrewed craft, the aim is to set up a long-term base on the moon, getting humans back there, and eventually even to Mars. So with humans set to spend more time in space than ever, one of the physical aspects to deal with will be gravity, which is pretty important for how our bodies work – even down how our brain functions.
Guest:
Stan Love
Physicist and astronaut
NASA
Prof Meng Law
Dept of Neuroscience
Monash University
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
Back pain is disabling and its treatment is contentious. One of the proposed solutions is spinal stimulation, where a device sends bursts of electricity to parts of the spinal cord. Results of a randomised trial in people with low back pain who tried a stimulator were published recently, and the researchers are surprised by what they found.
Guest:
Prof Sasha Gulati
Consultant Neurosurgeon
St Olav's Hospital and NTNU
Trondheim, Norway
Back pain is disabling and its treatment is contentious. One of the proposed solutions is spinal stimulation, where a device sends bursts of electricity to parts of the spinal cord. Results of a randomised trial in people with low back pain who tried a stimulator were published recently, and the researchers are surprised by what they found.
Guest:
Prof Sasha Gulati
Consultant Neurosurgeon
St Olav's Hospital and NTNU
Trondheim, Norway
Key determinants in someone's health are their knowledge of how to prevent disease, and to find their way through a health system. And the idea that society—not only an individual—is responsible for this 'health literacy' is central to a new World Health Organisation report.
Guest:
Prof Richard Osborne
School of Health Sciences
Swinburne University of Technology
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
Key determinants in someone's health are their knowledge of how to prevent disease, and to find their way through a health system. And the idea that society—not only an individual—is responsible for this 'health literacy' is central to a new World Health Organisation report.
Guest:
Prof Richard Osborne
School of Health Sciences
Swinburne University of Technology
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
There's been talk of changing the packet size of paracetamol tablets, in order to reduce self-harm through overdosing. The push back believes that people should be allowed to shop as they wish. However the number of very young people now overdosing on paracetamol is on the increase—so rather than reduce availability, the solution is to investigate and remedy why this self-harm occurs.
Guest:
Prof Nicholas Buckley
Clinical Pharmacology
School of Medical Sciences
University of Sydney
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
There's been talk of changing the packet size of paracetamol tablets, in order to reduce self-harm through overdosing. The push back believes that people should be allowed to shop as they wish. However the number of very young people now overdosing on paracetamol is on the increase—so rather than reduce availability, the solution is to investigate and remedy why this self-harm occurs.
Guest:
Prof Nicholas Buckley
Clinical Pharmacology
School of Medical Sciences
University of Sydney
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
The recent enactment of Maeve's Law allows the process of mitochondrial donation to be studied and tested. Maeve Hood is a young Victorian girl with Leigh Syndrome, and her parents lobbied for the right to detect mitochondrial diseases at the embryo stage, and engineer the embryonic cells to receive mitochondrial DNA from a donor. It's new technology because the results can be transmitted to generations beyond the child who receives the donation.
Three researchers have written an editorial in the Internal Medicine Journal expressing major concerns—not least because Maeve's law has raised expectations thaat mitochondrial donation technology exists. They argue that it's a long way off, and far from guaranteed as safe.
Guest:
Prof Paul Komesaroff Faculty of Medicine Monash University
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
The recent enactment of Maeve's Law allows the process of mitochondrial donation to be studied and tested. Maeve Hood is a young Victorian girl with Leigh Syndrome, and her parents lobbied for the right to detect mitochondrial diseases at the embryo stage, and engineer the embryonic cells to receive mitochondrial DNA from a donor. It's new technology because the results can be transmitted to generations beyond the child who receives the donation.
Three researchers have written an editorial in the Internal Medicine Journal expressing major concerns—not least because Maeve's law has raised expectations thaat mitochondrial donation technology exists. They argue that it's a long way off, and far from guaranteed as safe.
Guest:
Prof Paul Komesaroff Faculty of Medicine Monash University
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
Before a new drug or treatment comes on the market it must go through clinical trials, to show that it actually works, what dosage is needed, and if there are potential adverse reactions. But there's a lack of consistency in how adverse reactions are reported and why they've arisen—which makes it difficult to weigh up the drug or treatment's safety
Guest:
Dr Christina Abdelshaheed Senior Research Fellow School of Public Health University of Sydney
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
Before a new drug or treatment comes on the market it must go through clinical trials, to show that it actually works, what dosage is needed, and if there are potential adverse reactions. But there's a lack of consistency in how adverse reactions are reported and why they've arisen—which makes it difficult to weigh up the drug or treatment's safety
Guest:
Dr Christina Abdelshaheed Senior Research Fellow School of Public Health University of Sydney
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
In order to see health trends, it's vital for researchers to link big, de-identified datasets on health—for example, hospital admittance and discharge records can be cross-checked with PBS information—to show the social determinants of health.
Guest:
Prof Rosemary Korda National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health The Australian National University
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
In order to see health trends, it's vital for researchers to link big, de-identified datasets on health—for example, hospital admittance and discharge records can be cross-checked with PBS information—to show the social determinants of health.
Guest:
Prof Rosemary Korda National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health The Australian National University
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
Cyber attacks targeting the data held by health insurers has been in the news a lot recently. There's plenty of data out there because is integral to the health system, as well as the individual. Analysts are working to make the data management more secure, and the University of New South Wales may have one of the world's most secure systems.
Guest:
Prof Louisa Jorm
Director, Centre for Big Data Research in Health
UNSW
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
Cyber attacks targeting the data held by health insurers has been in the news a lot recently. There's plenty of data out there because is integral to the health system, as well as the individual. Analysts are working to make the data management more secure, and the University of New South Wales may have one of the world's most secure systems.
Guest:
Prof Louisa Jorm
Director, Centre for Big Data Research in Health
UNSW
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
The latest statistics on causes of deaths in Australia show that deaths caused by alcohol rose by 6% last year. For some of the alcohol-related conditions the levels were the highest in about ten years. This is avoidable and, in fact, advocates for greater alcohol control measures have been warning for years that we're not doing enough to prevent harm.
Guest:
Caterina Giorgi CEO of FARE (Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education)
Host: Dr Norman Swan
Producer: Diane Dean
The ABC series Magda's Big National Health Check is hosted by Magda Szubanski, and it's an immersive and personal journey about health in Australia today—what will increase our chance of a healthy life? Magda talks about her own reaction to the extent of chronic illness in Australia and why it's not just a failure of will on the part of the individual.
Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor
Guests:
Magda Szubanski
Alexandra Jones
Public health lawyer and researcher
George Institute
Assoc Prof Kathryn Backholer
National Heart Foundation Future Leader Research Fellow
Co-Director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE)
Deakin University
The ABC series Magda's Big National Health Check is hosted by Magda Szubanski, and it's an immersive personal journey about health in Australia today—what will increase our chance of a healthy life? Magda talks about her own reaction to the extent of chronic illness in Australia and why it's not just a failure of will on the part of the individual.
Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor
Guests:
Magda Szubanski
Alexandra Jones
Public health lawyer and researcher
George Institute
Assoc Prof Kathryn Backholer
National Heart Foundation Future Leader Research Fellow
Co-Director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE)
Deakin University
Hospital emergency departments can be stressful for patients, but a Danish nurse - and PhD candidate - wanted to help people calm down while they waited for surgery. She discovered that a pillow through which the patient could hear music was very effective.
It's becoming clear that ultra-processed foods - like candy, nuggets, and sweetened cereals - are not so good for your health. But is that because they're high in fat, sugar, and salt? Studies are showing that a higher intake of ultra-processed food is linked to a greater risk of dying from any cause.
Guest:
Dr Marialaura Bonaccio
Dept of Epidemiology and Prevention
Neuromed Institute
Pozzilli, Italy
Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Diane Dean
The Victorian state election is on 26th November and hospitals feature in political healthcare promises. Labor has promised more than $6 billion to build new hospitals and upgrade existing ones. Some are regional but a lot of money is going into Melbourne This often happens in state election campaigns but the headlines about bed block and ambulance ramping have barely changed. And the healthcare workforce is already stretched.
Guest:
Christopher Turner
Deputy Chief Executive
CoHealth
Host:
Dr Norman Swan
Producer:
Diane Dean
Severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can be defined in pathology, yet only be diagnosed after someone has died, and their brain examined.The variability of where CTE starts probably leads to the variability of clinical symptoms, which means good management of concussion is important to prevent long-term effects.
Guest:
Assoc Prof Michael Buckland,
Head of Dept of Neuropathology,
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
and Director
Australian Sports Brain Bank
Host:
Dr Norman Swan
Producer:
Diane Dean
It makes intuitive sense that if you screen people for disease the outcome will be good - because you get on top of the problem. But how far should you go? A large randomised trial in Denmark is trying to find out and the research team used various tests to look for coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, aneurysms and heart rhythm abnormalities.
Health practitioners are often still operating under the assumption that obesity is an individual's responsibility, even though science now tells us otherwise. There are health implications for people with obesity and public health needs to destigmatise it.
There's a new perspective on how we think about the cause and progress of Alzheimer's disease. Are we doing the right thing by removing accumulated amyloid protein from the brains of people with it? New research asks whether decreasing the so-called bad stuff is beneficial—or can it go further—because that stuff could be beneficial.
Professor Dame Valerie Beral was an epidemiologist whose groundbreaking research into women's health helped to show the pill was safe. She was one of the leaders of the Million Women Study, and recruited more than 1.3 million UK women over 50 via the NHS breast screening centres.
Robotic surgery has been very controversial since it was introduced initially for prostate cancer. It involves the surgeon sitting at a console away from the patient, and manipulating small instruments. The robots are expensive but now they're used in different areas, like joint replacement, bowel, and heart surgery. It began with prostate surgery and marketing that promised better outcomes than having an open operation—but the evidence was not substantial. Now a paper from surgeons in Melbourne reports significant benefits in terms of the cancer itself.
Most of us know that good health means exercise, eating veggies, and not smoking or drinking too much. But less than one in 10 Aussies eat enough vegetables or get the recommended amounts of physical activity. Is it easier said than done? The ABC has just launched a new tool to help people figure out how to make one small change that could add up to a big improvement in their health and how to fix a disconnect between knowledge and behaviour—starting with your shopping.
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 7 or 8 per cent of people in their 60s, and one in four people in their 80s. As more people hit their eighties and nineties, the number of those with mild cognitive impairment will increase. Not all will develop Alzheimer's disease but the pressure on the health care system is expected to be significant, so a group of experts have come together with recommendations for detecting, assessing, and looking after people with MCI.
Type 2 diabetes is being seen at younger and younger ages, especially among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Work is underway to bring healthcare providers, patients and their families together to improve models of care.
Chronic kidney disease was already on the rise pre-pandemic.
But now there are concerns numbers will climb above current projections, as COVID-19 infection emerges as a new risk factor.
We all know it's better for our health to get up and move, but at the end of a long day there's nothing quite like settling into the couch.
But it might be time to reconsider what you do while you're sitting.
What emerged as a marketing ploy in the 1960s has now received scientific support.
A research team has found that aiming for 10,000 steps a day can lower your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and even dementia.
It's an age-old struggle — how do you get children to sleep when every effort fails?
Most parents deal with a restless kid at some point, and a number of them call in professional help for much-needed relief.
Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed a new malaria vaccine that could be up to 80% effective against the disease.
But for that to happen people in often remote communities would need to receive three initial doses and a booster a year later.
Researchers want cardiovascular screening to become a regular part of treatment, and there are even calls for a new speciality to address demand.
There are calls for urgent steps to be taken after research revealed an alarming rise in cancers that might be preventable
Canada has proposed big changes to its alcohol guidelines in its first update in over a decade. It suggests no more than two standard drinks a week to maintain a low risk of harm.
Robert Lamberth had to receive regular transfusions of a blood clotting factor until a single dose of gene therapy changed everything
More research needed to understand why stroke is rising in younger adults, while it decreases for over 55s
There is increasing evidence that relaxation methods like yoga and meditation can help manage atrial fibrillation
Researchers struggle to find a design to steer consumers away from items with a higher sugar content
Instances of people overdosing on vitamins raises questions about the effectiveness of supplements
GPs can play a vital role in helping patients manage their weight, but the guidelines they follow might be out of date
A study looks at how eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper could improve your overall health
Report calls for targeted and trusted approach to ensure Australians don't fall through the cracks.
Some booze is being marketed as the 'healthier' option for consumers despite the negative impacts.
Study follows patients aged 12-18 who presented with symptoms of myocarditis after a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.
An archive special from 1998 looking at a heroin prescription project in Berne, Switzerland.
Last week we spoke to Professor Tony Cunningham about Shingles, and the different vaccines used against it - and we've had feedback.
The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine has been a mystery. It started as an attempt to develop a vaccine against TB, but works by seeming to bolster the immune system's first line of defence.
A miscarriage or stillbirth can be a devastating event, but there may be another issue alongside it for women, and that's an increased risk of stroke in later life.
Shingles can be a painful, debilitating disease and people over 70 can have a free vaccination against it. But the one given on the free schedule is not very effective, and the more effective one is costly and not subsidised.
An important paper has been published on the results of a huge randomised trial of vitamin D supplementation. The publishing journal's accompanying editorial argues that, mostly, even if vitamin D levels are low, there's no rationale or evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements.
With COVID we've been very focused on vaccines and masks but there is more we can do to slow the spread—and there's a historical parallel.
Climate change is becoming less of a theoretical threat and much more pronounced. Weather events like heatwaves and flooding clearly have physical health effects—and they have a mental health impact.
If you had a heart attack you would want the best care possible—and for follow-up treatment. But this isn't always the case, and depends on demographic as well as biological factors.
One of the reasons for legislation about voluntary assisted dying in Australia is that people with a limited life expectancy should have a choice about their death—and that choice assumes eligibility. But the vital eligibility criterion says that the person is expected to die within weeks, and not more than six months.
It's debatable how much money should be spent on health care in the last year of someone's life. Questions can be asked about if and how potentially unnecessary and expensive care should be given but it's more complicated than that.
Is fitness and living longer all to do with how much you eat and how much you exercerise?
There is still some lack of clarity on the value of getting a fourth dose of vaccine—and this is against a backdrop of too few people even getting a third dose.
Some immunologists have been troubled that COVID-19 is not behaving as expected. Norman talks with an internationally respected immunologist who has spent his career studying how white blood cells in the immune system protect us.
Many people are told to take a vitamin D supplement, especially in winter when there's less sunshine, but you can have too much of it. We unpack the story of a UK man admitted to hospital with Vitamin D toxicity—caused by taking far more than the recommended daily intake.
Sepsis is a condition claiming thousands of Australian lives each year, but especially in the early stages its symptoms are very vague. Now, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has created a national clinical care standard for diagnosis and treatment. And we hear a sepsis patient's story—Caitlin was dubbed 'mystery girl' by the medical team treating her.
In 2009 Australia launched a National Preventive Health Strategy with the aim of being the healthiest country in the world by 2020. The strategy focused on tobacco use, alcohol use, and obesity. Although on tobacco and alcohol we're improving, the situation for obesity has worsened.
One of the measures taken to prevent virus transmission has been social distancing and lockdown, but these can have their own negative health impact. A study on the behaviour of teens undertaken during the pandemic identified some of the particular health risks for this group.
People with Type 1 diabetes need to monitor what's going on with their bodies because they can't make insulin—and it's vital in maintaining blood glucose. An imbalance can be dangerous and damage blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys.
Updated versions of coronavirus vaccines targeting the Omicron variant have recently been announced by Pfizer and Moderna. There's been an impressive turnaround time and yet still the virus has continued to mutate.
Australia has recorded a lot of COVID-19 cases, and about 10 per cent of affected people have had prolonged symptoms, consequently there are many stories from those who say they have long COVID but unable to access help.
Research on links between mental health and premature mortality has some disturbing conclusions—a mental health disorder can impact future mental health as well as physical health.
The risk factors for heart disease or stroke are often high blood pressure, cholesterol, and maybe smoking. But Indigenous people think that the wisdom of culture can help combat these negative elements.
Does Australia need a Disease Control Centre? How would it operate, and what work would be done there?
About one in 10 Australians have osteoarthritis — it's caused by the wear and tear of the cushioning in your body's joints, and it can be painful to the point of being debilitating.
We know healthy food is good for our body, but evidence shows it's good for our mind too, and the peak body for dietetics in Australia wants nutrition help to be covered by Medicare in mental health plans.
Radiation and hormone therapy come with side effects, and while many people are willing to go through whatever it takes to make sure breast cancer is well and truly gone, a new study has shown there may be an easier way.
A new Australian study says we shouldn't necessarily be telling all women about their breast density as a matter of course, because it can have downsides too.
The cancer risks that run through generations of families—and the growing frontier in medicine trying to change that.
Conversations about the bad form of cholesterol involve LDL — low-density lipoprotein. Whereas high density lipoprotein is the good form, taking cholesterol out of the artery. LDL is supposed to be as low and HDL to be on the high side. An important new study suggests there's a limit on how high HDL should be.
In Australia smoking has decreased generally, but tobacco use is higher than average in young people with mental health issues. And especially so in those with more severe types of mental illness.
The term 'time toxicity' has been conceived by a group of cancer researchers in Canada, expressing the idea that if treatment to extend a patient's life involves lengthy periods in medical facilities, it may be time wasted.
Heart defects at birth are not uncommon, and most can be patched, but some need surgery and leave babies with half a heart. Now new research is looking at exercise as a key to improving their life expectancy.
Cancer drugs can reduce the size of tumors, but it's also important to know if someone's life will be improved by taking them. This factor is not considered so relevant for some of these drugs' marketability.
Study on the types of fat in our body has become more in-depth and now 800 different lipids can be measured to check your metabolic risk and health profile.
Abortion is legal in Australia, but those at greatest risk from unplanned pregnancy are often least able to access it. Experts say better training pathways are needed to ensure an equitable spread of abortion access nationwide.
One of the hottest areas in mental health research is a possible connection between mental health and the immune system, and if mental health is associated with immune disorders like ulcerative colitis and asthma.
About 40,000 Australians have a stroke each year, and swift diagnosis is vital. A pilot study in Melbourne brings the critical parts of stroke treatment directly to patients in a specialised ambulance called a mobile stroke unit.
The Australasian Skin Cancer Congress has been discussing how best to treat the rise in melanoma.
Monkeypox virus is classified as an Orthopoxvirus—one which uses mammals as host. Humans are protected against it by the smallpox vaccine, but are becoming more susceptible to monkeypox now due to less people being vaccinated, and waning immunity to the vaccine.
We host a pre-election health discussion with 4 experts assessing the pressing issues. What are the most pronounced problems, and what health questions have not been raised at all?
Doctors at Royal Darwin hospital struggle to communicate with Aboriginal patients, but a podcast featuring Aboriginal elders answering doctors’ questions aims to help better deliver culturally safe care.
Men are rightly the focus when we talk about prostate cancer, but the disease and its treatments can affect their relationships as well—and many partners find they’re unprepared for the aftermath of a man’s prostate cancer diagnosis.
In Australia there's great disparity in the risk of dying before your time, when compared with the average age at death. The risk is called premature mortality, and has been mapped on to federal electorates.
Many Australians experience blindness and severe vision loss because of a condition called Age Related Macular Degeneration. Some of them are able to have the progress to blindness slowed or halted by eye injections of a medication to stop blood vessels proliferating—but the cost of it to taxpayers is growing.
Many Australians experience blindness and severe vision loss because of a condition called Age Related Macular Degeneration. Some of them are able to have the progress to blindness slowed or halted by eye injections of a medication to stop blood vessels proliferating—but the cost of it to taxpayers is growing.
An article in The Medical Journal of Australia recently describes a disease claimed to have increased exponentially in the last 20 years. It's called Eosinophilic Oesophagitis, and can be mistaken for regular indigestion or acid reflux.
An article in The Medical Journal of Australia recently describes a disease claimed to have increased exponentially in the last 20 years. It's called Eosinophilic Oesophagitis, and can be mistaken for regular indigestion or acid reflux.
Opioids are a group of morphine-like drugs which are used to control pain. In Australia we haven't experienced an opioid disaster similar to the United States, but Australia has had problems.
Opioids are a group of morphine-like drugs which are used to control pain. In Australia we haven't experienced an opioid disaster similar to the United States, but Australia has had problems.
The next pandemic may arrive because of climate change. A paper in the journal Nature describes the situation of animals moving to different habitats, where they meet new animals and then share their viruses. New viruses could emerge and affect humans.
The next pandemic may arrive because of climate change. A paper in the journal Nature describes the situation of animals moving to different habitats, where they meet new animals and then share their viruses. New viruses could emerge and affect humans.
It's expected now that we will generally live longer, but what really interests people is how to spend their longer life in good health—and what to do now in order to set a good foundation.
It's expected now that we will generally live longer, but what really interests people is how to spend their longer life in good health—and what to do now in order to set a good foundation.
Around one in six Australians are living with tinnitus. So what causes it and what can be done to help?
For a cancer diagnosis, it's sometimes not known for sure which chemotherapy drug will work best. Clinical trials have helped to narrow the options for common cancers but even then, one drug won't always suit everyone. With the more rare kinds of cancer there may not be drug trial information to consult. To guide treatment, there's growing research on potential treatments using animal 'avatars'.
Many people are waiting for an organ donation and some of them may die before a suitable organ is found. Some researchers think that in the near future we will be able to grow organs in animals to be safely transplanted into humans.
This healthcare potential raises ethical questions and we need to assess where we stand on such technological change. The first of two features about medicine's use of animals for organ and tissue transplantation.
This program was originally broadcast in October 2021.
New variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to appear, and especially as there are low income countries with low levels of immunisation—and so high levels of circulating virus. The 2022-23 Australian Budget allocated A$85 million to COVAX, the international program for delivering COVID-19 vaccines particularly to low income countries. Is it enough? This week the German Government will host a meeting of international leaders who aim to raise US$5.2 billion ($7 billion AUS) for COVAX and fund a major push to ramp up vaccine coverage.
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals look after you and keep you as healthy. But despite Australia's relative good health, compared to other countries, it has major problems with general practice. By international standards we are probably overproducing medical graduates, but not enough are going into general practice and certainly not enough into rural and regional areas.
Researchers at the University of Sydney have reviewed multiple global studies on common painkillers and found that they have a marked effect on our resistance to infection—which is sometimes bad and sometimes good—and more studies are needed on possible alternatives for pain management. Some of these medications could also reduce our response to a vaccination—especially if they're taken ahead of one. Some good news though is that—in some studies—aspirin can reduce the disease burden of tuberculosis.
Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a hormonal cause of high blood pressure where the adrenal glands make too much aldosterone. It's treatable and there's a simple test.
If you have elevated blood pressure and lifestyle controls are not helping - so you need medication - by how much should pressure be reduced? Too low and you might overly restrict blood supply to the brain.
A 'temporary stroke' means people get the warning signs of a stroke but the symptoms go away without treatment. The medical name for this has been a Transient Ischaemic Attack - or a TIA.
A study yet to be peer-reviewed has assessed the evidence on treating COVID-19 with antibody infusions—particularly monoclonal antibodies. It has found that in the early days of the pandemic doses were too high—but things are different with Omicron and its variants, because the antibodies target different sections of the virus.
We know that when people's cognitive abilities decline they may develop mental health issues like depression and anxiety. But could mental health issues actually raise the risk of cognitive decline—because there are similar causes in the brain.
There's plenty of research to support the idea that a good diet—including wholefoods, fruit and vegetables—is really good at helping you to not get sick. But when people talk about using food to treat diseases the picture isn't so clear. And this is especially so with a disease like multiple sclerosis.
Knowing your blood group is handy information if you need a blood transfusion, or even an organ transplant. And it's essential information for the blood bank recruiting donors who match your blood type—and for people needing a blood product.
A study published in Lancet Public Health describes the large administrative data sets from four countries—covering 80 million people—and it looks at what's behind the reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease.
US heart transplant patient David Bennett Senior died recently, and it reminded Norman of his 1985 interview with Dr Leonard Bailey—and Dr Bailey's revolutionary operation on Baby Fae, who was given the heart of a baboon. During the interview there was a surprising revelation.
The rise of JEV in Australia happened when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) were writing a report. A key aspect of it was the effect of climate on health.
The Japanese Encephalitis virus is spread by mosquitos—it's a common virus in Asia but has travelled south to Australia and is causing concern in several Australian states.
A stoma is a portal in your body—often built-in during bowel cancer surgery—where your intestine is joined to a small hole in your abdomen wall and a pouch then attaches to your belly to collect your poo. It may be permanent or temporary—but it can be quite confronting to learn that you will poo into a pouch, even if just for a few months.
Recently published, independent, and peer-reviewed Australian case studies have reported on two people with bipolar disorder finding that their symptoms eased, or even disappeared, after they had a faecal microbiota transplant. So what do your poo and your mood have in common?
Australia is lucky to have a health scheme like Medicare—it provides free public hospital care and many other health services without out-of-pocket costs. However, there can be big gaps in what's provided, and many people are unable to cover the cost difference.
The incidence of concussion and repeated knocks to the head is growing—particularly among sports people. A result of this injury can be chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
When you consult a GP or seek health advice, your personal preferences for more or less medical care can determine the kind of care you receive.
High blood pressure is a high risk factor for heart disease, stroke, premature brain ageing, and probably dementia. To know if your blood pressure is high you need to measure it occasionally—with an accurate machine.
Two recent research papers seem to confirm that the pandemic coronavirus did indeed come from the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan, in December or late November 2019.
Less people now use methamphetamine in Australia, yet the health problems that come with it may be increasing. Nearly 30% of users have an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest due to toxic damage in the heart muscle.
People can sometimes hear when they rupture an Achilles tendon—it sounds like a loud 'snap'. Here's what you need to know about what might trigger it, whether pain is a factor, and the pros and cons of treatment.
Heart transplants save lives but are not without problems. Researchers want to overcome the problems and are developing an intermediate step to a transplant, as well as a device they hope will be the first permanent artificial heart.
The symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be similar to those of lower-level health issues—but if those symptoms are combined with factors like obesity and smoking, there’s enough reason for GPs to focus on the health of the pancreas.
Some people experience a tingly feeling when they hear certain noises and evidence is coming together to assess whether this feeling might be a useful intervention for people with anxiety.
Telomeres are small 'caps' on the ends of your chromosomes—the length of telomeres is seen as an indicator of how fast we age.
Borderline Personality Disorder is reputed to be hard to treat, but a new trial in young people suggests that you may not need long-term care from clinicians trained to treat it. Early intervention means that treatment could be made more widely available and affordable.
One of the yardsticks to calculate your risk of dying is your biological age—how worn your body is. This can be seen by taking a blood sample and checking the length of your telomeres, the tiny bits on the end of our chromosomes, which act like a sort of clock. A less invasive way to calculate your risk is by looking at your retina, and the tiny blood vessels at the back of your eye.
We worry about our sleep—if we're getting enough, or of the right kind. While the link between insomnia and dementia has been debated, it's thought generally that insomnia is associated with depression. The results of a trial to help people reduce their insomnia o see whether that can prevent depression have recently been published.
If you're a human in 2022 you likely carry a bit of tech on you that tracks how physically active you are. But how can we be sure it's really promoting activity? Previous studies have had mixed results.
Some people carry power cancer genes that can singlehandedly raise your risk of certain cancers. Two of them are BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Why are some meds expensive; genetic hypercholesterolaemia; statins; feedback on platelet-rich plasma, and feedback on ICE
Some people carry powerful cancer genes that can singlehandedly raise their risk of certain cancers. Two of these genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2.
A team of researchers have made a comprehensive list of the factors driving the thickening and hardening of the arteries—atherosclerosis—which causes heart attack and stroke.
A leading cause of death around the world is high blood pressure. However, many people with hypertension don't know they have it, and a group of experts is trying to remedy this by calling for national action on blood pressure control.
An internationally renowned epidemiologist says that omicron may mark the end of the pandemic.
As we find ourselves back on an emergency-response footing with COVID, what can an even keel of “living with the virus” look like? We need the ability to rapidly respond to new variants alongside a “COVID-normal”— where high vaccination rates are coupled to other measures, like masks, testing, and ensuring safe indoor air—according to Brendan Crabb from the Burnet Institute.
Each year in Australia a couple of thousand babies are born with congenital heart disease, but we don't fully understand the genetic causes behind it. Researchers from Monash University have discovered 35 new genes associated with congenital heart disease—and they're not strictly heart-specific genes.
Depression is no easy condition to predict because there are so many potential factors involved. Some factors are external and some factors are associated with genetic disposition. However, new research shows that it's not genetic markers alone which influence your risk. Inflammation may play a part as well.
Kids from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have hearing problems and very often these go undetected, which risks delays to their language development and ability to learn. Australian experts say we need more hearing screening for older kids, and primary school might be the best time to do it.
From the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, one expert came to the fore as a trusted voice, not just in his home country of the United States, but around the globe: Dr Anthony S Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Many parents have angst about the pressures their teenagers will face to try cannabis, alcohol and other illicit drugs.
In a culture where drinking alcohol is so prevalent and part of almost every occasion, it can be hard for young people to avoid the pressure to drink.
New research has found that even very small amounts of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of children experimenting with alcohol at a very young age.
It's an issue that causes angst for a lot of parents - how to protect kids from experimenting with and misusing alcohol and drugs.
Parents often feel helpless in the face of media and peer pressure, but maybe they shouldn't feel that way. They make more of a difference than they might imagine.
Professor Maree Teesson is Director of the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney. She joins the program to discuss ICE use in Australia and the latest research on effective treatments.
This item was originally broadcast in June 2021
Jack Nagle knows first hand how difficult it is to quit methamphetamine. His life was hugely affected by ICE and he now - courageously - is prepared to talk about it.
Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions.
It affects a significant number of people in the community, a large proportion of them having suffered trauma early in life. The emotional instability, fear of abandonment and patterns of self-harm can alter someone’s life and that of their loved ones in profound ways.
But the enduring stigma around BPD means it often goes unrecognised or not properly treated and many fall through the cracks.
This program was originally broadcast in September 2021
Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions.
It affects a significant number of people in the community, a large proportion of them having suffered trauma early in life. The emotional instability, fear of abandonment and patterns of self-harm can alter someone’s life and that of their loved ones in profound ways.
But the enduring stigma around BPD means it often goes unrecognised or not properly treated and many fall through the cracks.
If you mention Transient Global Amnesia—TGA—the chances are that nobody has heard of it. When Dasha Ross lost her memory for a day she was diagnosed as having experienced this mysterious ‘neurological enigma'. It affects over a thousand Australians a year—and Dasha was determined to find the cause.
This program was originally broadcast in April 2021
We know that exercise seems to help stave off age-related cognitive decline, but we're not sure why, or how much exercise you need. A huge study in mice has pointed to a 'sweet spot' for exercise.
It used to be thought that acute mental stress wasn't that bad for the heart, but over the years there's been a change of opinion. A group at Emory University in the US has used a public speaking exercise like a medical test for your risk of developing what's called myocardial ischaemia—a shortage of blood to the heart.
Clinical trials are often quite restrictive about who they let in—and especially so where oncologists are tempted to use new and expensive drugs on people who are outside the recommended use. A study now has looked at the use of the new and very expensive immunotherapy medications for so-called solid tumours in organs like the lung, liver, bladder and kidneys.
Mind-altering drugs like psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD may have the potential to treat mental health issues, particularly when used with psychotherapy. In the 50s and 60s these drugs were part of a 'counter-culture' but nowadays research on them is increasing.
What should we do about those annoying cramps—there's no surefire treatment; and polyps: are they a precursor of something worse—get checked anyway; and LDL, how important is it? It's good to know what it is—but get it checked by a medical professional, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Infant formula enriched with certain nutrients has been claimed to improve kids’ cognitive development, but a study looking at long-term outcomes has found supplemented formulas didn’t seem to make a difference.
Treatment of concussion has become a major issue over the last few years. One factor in recovery is whether screens—such as phone, computer, or tv—should be used during recovery. A randomised trial on this has been conducted in the U.S.
A huge study from South Africa has been released as a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed pre-print over the last few days. The researchers looked at what's called immune escape from the point of view of reinfection rates in people who've been infected with the COVID-19 virus in the past year or so.
Parkinson's disease is a disabling degenerative problem in the brain causing rigidity, tremor, difficulty with movement and possibly cognitive problems. Why it happens is not really understood but some believe there's an association with influenza.
Platelet-rich plasma is also being used on people with ankle osteoarthritis, and a group in the Netherlands tested its efficacy.
A popular treatment for osteoarthritis is platelet rich plasma injections. Your blood is spun down and then the clear fluid on top - the plasma - is injected into your knee joint. Some say it can relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis or avoid knee replacement surgery.
The latest variant of concern is Omicron—declared a virus of concern by the World Health Organisation on 26 November. Should we worry?
Sometimes radiation and chemotherapy don’t kill cancer cells. Instead cells go into a state of hibernation called senescence. We discuss what senescence is, what triggers cancer cells to 'reawaken', and potential treatments in the pipeline.
The health of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers is impacted by their employment roster. These workers can suffer sleep disorders and a drop in mental alertness - factors which contribute to safety levels on the job, and at home.
A snapshot of teens’ health behaviours taken just before the pandemic – things such as physical activity level, diet, alcohol use, smoking, sleep, and screen time – provide a baseline to measure how restrictions and lockdowns may have other long-term health effects on young people.
A study of Melbourne public hospitals has found the rate of stillbirth rose during lockdowns. The researchers also saw a drop in preterm births, including births that are preterm because of medical reasons – so what are the implications for future lockdowns?
Each week, Norman and Tegan answer questions you send in to the Health Report inbox.
To submit a question, email healthreport@abc.net.au.
People with lymphoma find themselves in a tricky situation in this pandemic. They're at a very high risk of dying from a COVID infection so they have a lot to gain by being vaccinated. But their lymphoma treatment makes them less likely to be able to mount an immune response to the COVID vaccines.
For immunocompromised people it may be tricky to provide an effective immune response to COVID through vaccination.
The three COVID vaccines available in Australia at the moment are pretty amazing. They're beyond the expectations at the start of the pandemic of getting an even modestly effective one, but there are still vulnerabilities.
A two year follow up of a large number of young people presenting to Headspace with psychological problems has found that the majority have poor outcomes. The reason appears to be that at a national level, the services are not necessarily designed to deal with the complex needs that young people have.
Following on from our closing item on breast screening is more about what precautions to take; and how to manage osteopenia.
To submit a question, email healthreport@abc.net.au.
Risk of breast cancer increases as you get older. But there are actually many factors that push up your risk. So how -- and how frequently - to have a breast screen. In fact, the brightness of your breast screen itself could even hint at your future risk of breast cancer.
Mums often spend time watching their kids on trampolines and jumping castles - but are perhaps not so willing to bounce alongside them - because of issues with their pelvic floor.
There's a thriving market selling laser treatment to women with vaginal symptoms claiming it rejuvenates the tissue.